


Merry 25th

by nannea



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, And Harry gets kittens, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Niall owns an animal shelter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 16:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4571766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nannea/pseuds/nannea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry just so happens to hate Christmas and refuses to celebrate it, so he decides to rescue a kitten instead. Niall is the owner of the animal shelter and Harry quickly learns that maybe Christmas isn't so horrible after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry 25th

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I know it's the middle of August when I'm posting this but I posted this Christmas oneshot on Wattpad last year and I'm in the process of moving my work so that is why I'm posting a Christmas fic during the summer. Apologies! 
> 
> (It's not that Christmassy by the way, there's kittens and fluff for the most part!)

 

"I bloody hate Christmas," he mutters to no one.

There's a snow storm outside and he sighs, looking outside his window as he sips his cappuccino he made with his new coffee machine he bought himself for Christmas.

It's the day before Christmas Eve and the weather resembles the state of his mind. Stormy and cold, uneasy. That's how he feels, knowing it's again another Christmas alone, just him spending time by himself in his new house which doesn't even feel like home.

Harry Styles has always hated Christmas with passion. It's everything and anything he despises about the holiday season. People everywhere, shops playing Christmas music, festive atmosphere that depresses Harry even more.

There is a reason for his hate, or not just one but multiple reasons why the holidays deeply upset him and make him cranky. First there are all those depressing childhood memories, his father drunk on Christmas Day, his mother crying. His big sister taking him to their grandma's house to escape the toxic atmosphere around their house.

Then there is his ex-boyfriend, the only person Harry has ever loved, whose birthday just happens to be on Christmas Eve. Harry dated him all throughout high school and college, until one day he found out Louis cheated. It's been years and years but still, Harry can't bring himself to forgive or to forget and 24th of December is just an ugly memory of his first ever love.

After college Harry moved away to study in university and ever since his first semester, he hasn't celebrated Christmas in any way. He tries to act like it's any day of the year, not making it anything special and spending the holidays by himself. Ever since he moved away, he hasn't gone home for Christmas because he simply doesn't want to, his childhood memories still freshly on his mind.

His thoughts are interrupted when his phone beeps, his best friend Zayn texting him. He groans, hoping Zayn isn't asking anything about Christmas because it's the one topic Harry definitely doesn't want to talk about.

 _Call me,_ the message simply says and Harry knits his brows before selecting Zayn's number and giving him a call.

"Hey man," he hears Zayn happily answering.

"What's up?" Harry asks.

"So I know you hate Christmas and all," Zayn says and Harry immediately groans, wanting to toss his phone away.

"A-a, just listen until I finish!"

"Alright," Harry sighs.

"I was reading the newspaper earlier when I saw an advertisement. An animal shelter is offering kittens free and I was thinking, you should really rescue one. Think about it Haz, you've always talked about getting a cat. When is the better time than during the holidays, right?"

Harry listens carefully, knitting his brows and chewing his lower lip. He starts wondering about it, listening Zayn rambling how Harry should finally get a pet after talking about it for so long. Zayn says it would do Harry some good especially because it's the holiday season and Harry's mood isn't the best one possible.

"Where's the shelter?" Harry finds himself asking.

"I can text you the address if you want," he hears Zayn offering.

"Yeah alright," Harry agrees.

"Listen mate if you end up getting a cat, I'm coming back home on 27th and I want to see it."

"Okay. Well, thanks Zayn."

"No problem mate. Go get that cat," Zayn says and hangs up.

Soon Harry's phone beeps and he sees Zayn has sent a picture of the advertisement. It has the shelter's name and address along with opening hours. Harry looks at the time, noticing the shelter is still open for three hours.

He quickly types the address in his maps app, seeing it's only four miles away. He wonders if it's safe to go outside and drive, seeing as there is a snow storm.

"Fuck it," he decides and gets up, walking to his bedroom and lazily pulling some old jeans on.

Much to his own surprise, he realises he is excited. He has thought about getting a cat for a while now, seeing as he lives alone and often gets lonely. Harry isn't a dog person and thinks they are too much work anyway, but he has always loved cats. He thinks now is the perfect opportunity, he never seems to find the right time to actually go and get a cat and now he is feeling impulsive, thinking he finally should.

Harry pulls on a warm jumper, placing a beanie on his head and covering most of his curls. His hair is getting a bit long and it needs a trim, his chocolate curls almost reaching his shoulders now. As he puts his winter coat on, he takes a look in the mirror, sighing at the reflection.

"You look miserable Harry," he says to himself before grabbing his keys and opening the front door.

"Fuck me," Harry almost screams when a wind blows snow on his face, it soon melting and rolling down his face onto his neck, causing him to shiver.

He quickly runs to his car, hopping inside and shivering a bit, starting the car. He has to clean the windows and after a few minutes of warming up, he goes back outside, quickly brushing the windows clean from the snow.

"GPS," he mumbles as he types in the address to his phone gps, putting on his seat belt and beginning to drive.

He turns on the radio, soon learning it's a big mistake seeing as every station only plays Christmas songs. He groans and turns the music off, huffing to himself and silently cursing the festive season to down there where the sun doesn't shine.

The traffic is a mess and it takes ages for Harry to reach his destination but finally after almost half an hour, he reaches the shelter and parks in the parking area. He sits inside his car for a while, scared of going outside but soon manning up, hopping outside and quickly rushing to the front door of the shelter.

Inside it's quiet and there's no one around in the office area. Harry looks around, waiting at the front desk for quite some time before getting restless.

"Hello?" He calls, hoping a worker will show up soon.

"Oh hello, I'm sorry you had to wait, I'm working alone and I was just feeding the cats."

Harry is met by a young looking boy, slightly shorter than him. He is a rambling mess, holding a small cat in his arms and oddly enough feeding the animal with a bottle, a one you would normally feed babies with.

His hair is blonde and a complete mess, a rosy blush on his cheeks. He is wearing baggy sweatpants and a hoodie, and despite the large clothing Harry can tell the boy is quite small which he finds cute.

He stares at the boy intensively, finding himself thinking the boy is very attractive. He slightly blushes at the thought, moving his eyes away only to look at the boy again only a few seconds later, still thinking he is very attractive.

"Are you here to rescue a cat?" The boy then asks, catching Harry's attention.

"Yeah, I saw the advertisement in the paper," Harry awkwardly says, scratching the back of his neck before putting his hands deep in his coat pockets.

"Follow me then, the animals are here," the boy nods towards his left where he came from and Harry follows him, still wondering why the boy is feeding a cat with a baby bottle.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry decides to ask, referring to the cat.

"Oh we just rescued him yesterday and he doesn't really eat, so I'm trying with a bottle," the boy explains, holding the cat like a baby as he turns to look at Harry.

"Here are our cats," the boy then says, stopping at a row of cages.

Harry has always had a soft spot for animals and when he sees the poor cats inside the cages, he can almost hear his heart breaking. The sight is upsetting, tiny kittens meowing, one cat staring at Harry and looking rather miserable.

"Here you go Bruno," the worker boy is suddenly talking, placing the cat he was feeding into an empty cage and closing the door.

"Do you want a kitten or would you prefer an older cat?" He is talking to Harry again, turning around to face Harry.

"A kitten," Harry answers without thinking about it too much. He peeks at the worker before moving his eyes back on one kitten that has caught his attention.

The kitten is small and furry, its fur a mixture of white, light brown and grey. It has big blue eyes and when it keeps looking at Harry, he thinks he is sold already.

"I like this one," he tells the worker and points at the small kitten.

"She's a girl, 18 weeks old now. She's been with us for two weeks, the owner had a big brood and they couldn't sell all the kittens so they brought two here," the worker explains.

"This is her brother," he steps closer to Harry, pointing at another kitten in the next cage.

Harry steps closer to the cage, looking at the boy kitten and his heart melting at how adorable the tiny cat is. He is chasing his tail like a dog would, soon stopping and coming closer, looking straight at Harry.

"Do you want me to take him out?" The worker gently asks and looks at Harry.

"Yeah, thanks," Harry breaths out. The worker opens the cage and Harry hesitantly crouches a bit, bringing his hands closer to the kitten.

He waits for the kitten to sniff him, smiling shortly when the kitten licks his fingertips. He reaches to lift the kitten up, bringing him to his chest. The small animal doesn't make a sound but clings his nails on the front of Harry's jumper, causing him to laugh.

"I think he wants to go home with you," the worker points out and Harry looks at him, realising they are standing quite close and he can see the worker's eyes. They are ocean blue and Harry gets lost in them, thinking he has never seen eyes so piercing blue.

When he realises he is staring, he blushes and looks down at the kitten who is still clinging to his jumper. He then looks at the other kitten, his heart melting again as he thinks he can't possibly choose between them.

"Would it be cruel to separate siblings?" Harry asks from the worker, realising he wants to know the boy's name but he is too shy to ask.

"It happens all the time, most people just take one and often leave siblings behind," the worker explains and Harry nods.

"Do you want to play with them? We have a play area here," the worker then asks and points at the room next to them, the door slightly open.

"Could I?" Harry carefully asks.

"Of course," the worker smiles and opens the cage door, getting the girl kitten out and motioning Harry to follow to the other room.

The room is full of pet toys, there is a climbing frame for the cats and a cat tree. The worker sits down on the floor, letting the girl kitten free and she immediately goes to the climbing frame. Harry follows the worker, sitting down Indian style and carefully placing the boy kitten on the floor.

"Do the kittens have names?" Harry asks when he realises he doesn't know their names yet.

"Oh right, the girl is Daisy and the boy is Dom," the worker smiles and looks at Harry with his big blue eyes, causing Harry to blush slightly and turn his eyes on the kittens.

"I actually named them," the worker then confesses.

"I like the names," Harry truthfully tells and offers the worker a small smile.

"What's your name?" He then boldly asks, suddenly feeling more confident.

"I'm Niall."

"Niall..?" Harry continues, hoping to hear a last name as well.

"Niall Horan."

"Harry Styles," Harry introduces himself, smiling at the worker, Niall, who returns the smile.

"Can I ask you something?" Niall carefully asks and Harry nods, watching the two kittens playing.

"How come you're taking a pet this time of the year?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asks because he doesn't understand the question.

"Well it's almost Christmas and you can't leave a kitten alone for a while after you've taken one," Niall explains.

"I don't celebrate Christmas," Harry blurts out, mentally cursing himself for not coming up with a better explanation or in other words, a lie.

"Oh me neither, I was supposed to go home to Ireland but my flight was cancelled because of the storm and now I'm stuck here," Niall starts rambling out of nowhere.

"Bummer," Harry mumbles, not really knowing what else to say.

"Oh you're Irish," he then realises, blurting his thought out and right after that mentally slapping himself.

"Indeed," Niall chuckles a bit.

The boy kitten, Dom, makes his way to Harry and tries to climb on his lap, ending up curling himself into a small ball in the space between Harry's legs. He smiles shortly, looking down at the adorable kitten and carefully stroking his soft fur.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" Niall asks.

"Yeah," Harry admits.

"Is this place open tomorrow? I need some time to think if I can actually take them both," he then explains to Niall.

"Well no but I'll be here feeding the animals so you could come around, if you want."

"Could I?" Harry makes sure.

"Of course. I'll be around pretty much whole day," Niall smiles at him.

"You'll get a fat paycheck," Harry decides to joke, instantly cursing himself because his joke comes out as dry and not funny at all.

"Not really, I own the place."

"Oh." It takes Harry off guard and he starts wondering how old Niall exactly is, seeing as he looks really young, barely his twenties but he can't be that young, at least so Harry reasons.

They fall into silence, Harry still stroking Dom's fur and watching the other kitten Daisy playing by herself. She soon gets bored, coming to Harry and trying to climb on his lap. He smiles shortly, carefully picking the small kitten up and holding her close to his chest. He presses his face on her soft fur, thinking there is no way he can choose between the kittens.

He already knows he wants them both but he decides not to tell it to Niall, having an excuse to come back tomorrow to see the blonde boy again. Harry doesn't know what it is, but something about the boy has caught his interest and something like that simply doesn't happen to Harry very often, so he is curious to find out more.

Dom climbs off of his lap, going to Niall instead who easily lifts the kitten up and places him on his shoulder. Harry can't stop smiling when the small kitten curls into a ball on the boy's shoulder, Niall holding him with one hand to make sure the kitten doesn't fall.

Niall soon catches Harry's staring, smiling at him. Harry finds himself thinking the boy looks beautiful and he blushes at the thought but doesn't turn his eyes away just yet, looking at Niall for a while longer before finally turning to look at Daisy, stroking her and hearing her start purring.

"I should probably go soon," Harry decides to break the silence and Niall nods.

"So you'll come back tomorrow?" Niall asks as he gets up, holding Dom in his arms.

"Yeah. What time would be good?" Harry gets up too, following Niall back to the cages, feeling a pinch in his heart when he puts Daisy back to the cage.

"Anytime," Niall tells as he puts Dom back into the cage.

"I'll come around two," Harry decides and Niall nods, smiling a bit shyly to him.

"I'll walk you outside," Niall says and sounds a bit awkward for some reason.

Harry looks at the kittens one last time, silently promising them to come back tomorrow to get them home before he turns around, walking back to the office room. Niall is following him and Harry doesn't exactly know what to do so he stops at the front door, turning around to face the worker.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Harry decides to say, smiling shyly and watching a smile growing on Niall's face, his eyes crinkling a bit from the corners.

"See you and thank you for even considering of rescuing a kitten. They all deserve a loving home," Niall says.

"I wish I could bring them all home," Harry truthfully says.

"Can't save them all," Niall sighs, sounding a bit upset.

"Yeah," Harry sighs too, feeling sad all of a sudden.

"So. I'll come around two," he then says, looking at Niall who nods with a small smile on his face.

"Bye," Harry breaths out, looking at Niall once last time before opening the front door and stepping outside, a wind immediately blowing snow on his face.

"Bloody hell," he curses as he quickly walks to his car and hops inside.

Harry starts his car, suddenly realising something. He can't just rescue a kitten like this, he doesn't have any essentials for a cat such as a climbing frame or a bed. He quickly starts thinking about it, realising he knows an animal shop nearby that should still be open.

Since he already decided on rescuing both kittens, he reasons he might as well buy everything the kittens need. He parks his car on the parking lot which is half empty, and almost runs inside the shop, mentally cursing the snow storm.

He ends up buying a bit more than needed, collecting all kinds of toys, two different beds, a climbing frame and a cat tree. He picks up different kinds of food, not really sure which kinds to get so he plays it safe and gets a bit of everything.

Thirty minutes and three hundred pounds later he stuffs the things in the trunk of his car, thinking getting a kitten or two wasn't as cheap as he first thought.

 

When Harry goes to bed that night, he can't stop thinking about Niall and the kittens. He doesn't know what it is, but there's something about Niall that makes him want to know more about the Irish boy.

He recalls Niall holding Dom on his shoulder and as Harry pictures the memory again, he starts smiling a bit. He wonders if he is ever going to see Niall again after tomorrow and makes a silent promise to come up with a plan. He would normally never do something like this, he is too shy and introverted, but for some reason he already knows he can't let this one go so easily.

 

-

 

The next day the memory of Niall and the kittens is almost haunting Harry, not leaving him alone even for a second. As he makes breakfast around ten, he keeps looking at all the cat toys on his living room floor. A smile forms on his face when he realises he is bringing the kittens home today, in a few short hours.

Time goes by too slowly and at twelve thirty, Harry is restless and walking around the downstairs area. He starts wondering if he could just leave early and quickly decides he will, seeing as he can't stand the thought of having to wait for another hour.

He is eager to see the kittens and bring them home already but also, he is excited to see Niall. He has come up with a few good plans, one being just boldly asking Niall's number. He knows it might be stupid and reckless, but he has promised himself to give it a try. He knows it would haunt him if he didn't and it just feels like something he needs to do.

Harry decides to leave on the blue skinny jeans he is wearing, grabbing a long sleeved black shirt and a grey hoodie to keep him warm. He also grabs a bright orange beanie, placing it over his head but making sure not to cover his curls. They are the best feature in him along with his eyes, he thinks. Everyone always compliments his eyes, they are forest green and Harry thinks they are quite nice.

"Things could definitely be worse," he cockily talks to himself as he looks himself from the mirror, thinking he looks surprisingly good today. He quickly grabs a traveling cage he bought for the kittens so he can bring them home, looking himself from the mirror for one last time.

As he steps outside he realises it's not snowing anymore but instead the ground is completely white, covered in a thick layer of snow. Harry quickly cleans his car from the snow, hopping inside and shivering even though he has a warm winter coat on. He starts the car, immediately putting his warmer on and warming his hands for a while before beginning to drive.

As he gets closer to the animal shelter, his heart begins to beat faster. He realises he is nervous, most likely because he is meeting Niall again and he needs to make a good impression. He was acting a bit foolishly yesterday, feeling too shy to make an actual conversation but today he is more determined, deciding to try his best at behaving like a normal person would.

He parks his car, hopping outside and to his surprise, seeing Niall stepping out of the building. He panics, quickly rushing towards Niall and waving his hand, realising he must look like a maniac.

"Oh, Harry," Niall finally notices him, stopping at his spot.

"Hi, sorry I'm a bit early," Harry says, mentally adding  _'an hour early and on purpose_ '.

"You're lucky you didn't miss me, I was just about to go and get some lunch," Niall tells and smiles a bit, causing Harry to smile too.

"Oh sorry, I can just wait in the car or something," Harry then realises.

"That's alright, I'll grab lunch later," Niall smiles at him.

"No really, I can wait," Harry argues a bit, suddenly feeling guilty for showing up so early and making Niall miss his lunch.

"You could come along, I'll just go to the pizzeria across the street and take the pizza back here," Niall explains and points at a restaurant right across the street.

"Okay," Harry happily says and smiles at Niall before they begin to walk towards the restaurant.

As they walk, Harry tries to think about something to say. He is just about to ask how the kittens are when Niall slips and Harry's automatic reaction is to try and catch him. He manages to catch the smaller boy, holding him up from his armpits.

"Oh dear, I'm so clumsy," Niall chuckles a bit and stands up more properly, Harry letting go of him.

"Thanks for saving me," he then says, smiling a bit shyly at Harry.

"Anytime," Harry says and then offers his arm at Niall, thinking it's a nice gesture.

Niall looks a bit confused for second before he understands it, linking his arm with Harry's and they cross the road in lockstep, Niall letting go once they reach the front door of the small pizza place.

"Why is this place open on Christmas Eve?" Harry mostly wonders out loud as he opens the door, holding it open for Niall.

"The owner keeps it open throughout the holidays," Niall answers as they are walking to the front desk, Harry looking at the food signs, his stomach rumbling and he realises he might as well order something for himself.

"Are you getting something?" Niall asks as if he was reading Harry's thoughts.

"Might as well," Harry says, looking at him for a second, noticing Niall's cheeks are a bit redden from the cold weather outside, his skin otherwise quite pale.

"Niall!" A man suddenly rushes to the cash register, smiling at Niall and Harry realises they must know each other.

"Hi mate, how are you?" Niall asks, Harry looking at him before moving his eyes back on the stranger.

"A bit bored if I'm honest, it's been a quiet day," the stranger answers.

"Right, Harry this is Liam the owner, Liam this is Harry, he is rescuing one of my kittens," Niall introduces them much to Harry's surprise.

"Oh you're saving Niall's Christmas. Nice to meet you," the owner, Liam is speaking to Harry.

"Likewise," Harry politely says, starting to wonder what saving Niall's Christmas means exactly.

"What can I get you boys?" Liam then asks and Harry realises he has no idea what he wants to order.

"The usual," Niall says and Liam nods.

"Harry?" He then asks, turning his blue eyes on Harry who nervously rocks from one heel to another.

"What's the usual?" Harry ends up asking.

"Ham and pineapple pizza," Niall chuckles a bit.

"I'll have the same."

They both pay for their pizzas, Liam telling them to go sit down while he makes their pizzas. Harry sits down opposite of Niall, watching him resting his arms on the table, automatically leaning closer to Harry who doesn't know where to look.

"Did you decide yet?" Niall is suddenly talking.

"Huh?"

"Which kitten are you getting," Niall clarifies his question.

"Oh, I'm taking them both," Harry answers and wants to coo when a wide smile grows on Niall's face, his eyes crinkling from the corners as he is showing off his perfectly straight and white teeth.

"You're really saving my Christmas like Liam said," Niall almost dreamily says and looks Harry in the eyes.

"What does that mean?" Harry quickly asks.

"Well I've been hoping someone would rescue the kittens, I've had a soft spot for them ever since they were brought to me."

"Here I am," Harry tries to joke a bit and Niall smiles shortly, nodding his head.

"How old are you?" Harry decides to ask, wanting to know more about the blonde Irish boy.

"23. What about you?"

"22, I just graduated from uni this summer," Harry tells. He feels genuinely surprised Niall is older than him, he would have guessed the Irish boy is barely in his twenties. Now that he knows Niall's age, he feels quite relieved, silently thinking so far everything seems great for his upcoming plan to ask Niall's number.

"What do you do for living?" Niall asks, Harry feeling happy he isn't the only one asking the questions.

"Try to guess," Harry casually challenges, knowing there is absolutely no way Niall will guess correctly.

"Please don't put me in this position," Niall playfully whines.

"You're definitely not a teacher. Did you study law or business?" He tries to guess and Harry shakes his head, smiling a bit.

"Music?"

"No."

"I give up," Niall sighs and throws his arms up.

"I studied art history, I work in an art gallery," Harry reveals and watches Niall's expression changing from shocked to confused.

Harry finds Niall really cute, his eyes first widening and then he knits his brows, scrunching his nose in an adorable way before his eyes light up.

"That's really cool," Niall breaths out, a smile forming on his face.

"Not as cool as your job," Harry truthfully tells since he finds what Niall is doing almost impressing, and really important. Not many people would do what Niall does, rescue animals and take care of them and Harry truly appreciates someone like that.

Niall is just about to say something when Liam brings their pizzas in two large boxes, wishing Merry Christmas. Harry silences his groan, wishing Merry Christmas with a happy tone which is extremely forced. He holds the door open for Niall who steps outside, almost slipping again but managing to keep his balance.

"I'm so clumsy," Niall whines a bit.

"Here," Harry offers his arm again, holding the pizza box with one hand. He smiles when Niall links their arms and they begin to walk in lockstep back to the animal shelter.

 

Thirty minutes later they are finishing their pizzas while having a casual conversation. They are sitting on the office room floor, Niall giggling at a joke Harry managed to tell.

They have mainly talked about the kittens, Niall telling everything Harry needs to know and Harry explaining what he bought for the kittens. Niall explained everything so carefully and Harry had a hard time not to coo, that's how adorable he found the Irish boy.

"Man I'm full," Niall whines as he has finished eating the last slice.

"Me too," Harry sighs and looks at his empty pizza box, wondering why he had to eat it all since he is now about to explode.

"Do you want to see the kittens now?"

"Sure," Harry answers before realising something. He is about to take the kittens home and before that, he needs to make a move.

What makes him nervous is the fact he barely knows anything about Niall and asking his number is nerve-wracking. Niall may not be gay, the chances are he is straight and Harry is reading the situation horribly wrong. If he goes ahead and asks Niall's number, he might get turned down and that is definitely not something Harry wants.

He also knows he can't just ask about Niall's sexuality, reasoning it would make him look like a fool. As he starts panicking a bit he realises Niall has already stood up, putting the empty pizza boxes away.

"You coming?" Niall asks and Harry quickly gets up, following Niall to the other room.

His heart melts as he sees the kittens, both of them meowing when he leans closer to the cages. He turns to look at Niall, silently asking for a permission to open the cages and Niall nods, taking Daisy out as Harry takes Dom.

Harry holds Dom on his right shoulder, pressing his face against the kitten's fur and rubbing his cheek on it, laughing a bit when the small kitten purrs. He turns to look at Niall who is holding Daisy, stroking her fur and smiling down at her.

"Did you bring a traveling bag?" Niall asks, sounding a bit sad all of a sudden.

"Yeah it's in my car," Harry tells.

"Do you want to go get it? I guess you want to get going already."

"Oh no, I'm not in a rush," Harry blurts out.

"Oh."

"Yeah I mean, I could stay for a while if you want, if you don't have anything to do I mean," he tries to fix it a bit but ends up making it even more awkward.

"S-Sure," Niall stutters a bit, taken aback by the situation.

They end up sitting on the play room floor just like yesterday, Harry playing with the kittens and laughing at how adorable they are. Daisy is chasing a ball in a string while Dom is playing with a squeaky toy.

"Come here," Niall is talking to Dom, getting the toy from him and beginning to play, talking to the kitten with a higher pitched tone.

Harry can't tear his eyes away from Niall, soon realising he is openly staring and admiring the Irish boy. He blushes and turns his eyes away, focusing back on Daisy and desperately trying to think of something to say.

"So are you just going to be here tomorrow?" He ends up asking, hoping it doesn't sound stupid.

"Yeah pretty much," Niall sighs.

"Bummer."

"You seriously don't celebrate Christmas?" He hears Niall questioning, turning his eyes on Niall.

"No, it's not my thing."

"How come?"

Harry gulps, trying hard to think what to say and soon coming up with a great plan. He thinks it's brilliant, maybe it's also a bit dangerous but he is willing to take a risk.

"Oh it has something to do with my ex-boyfriend from high school. Long story."

And there, Harry has given Niall a hint, hoping for the best. He peeks at Niall, noticing a small frown on his face and immediately starting to panic, regretting his decision to mention the word 'boyfriend'.

"That's a shame," Niall finally says, sounding a bit odd.

"Yeah."

"My ex ruined my eighteenth birthday," Niall is suddenly speaking up.

"What happened?" Harry decides to ask, hoping it's not too personal.

"He hooked up with someone."

"Bummer," Harry says before he realises what Niall just said, trying his absolute everything to hide a smile.

 _He,_ Harry silently thinks, his heart beating loud in his chest.

They both focus on playing with the kittens, Harry secretly peeking at Niall from time to time and admiring how good the Irish boy looks. He looks cuddly in his over-sized jumper and Harry wishes he would know more about the boy, curious about his life and his background.

"Are you from around here?" Niall breaks the silence.

"No, I grew up in Cheshire."

"Cheshire, is that nearby Manchester?"

"Yeah," Harry says.

"I'm from a small town called Mullingar, moved here a few years back," Niall tells.

"Why did you move here?"

"My grandpa owned this place and he passed away, and he bequeathed this place to me."

"Oh, I'm sorry about your grandpa," Harry gently says.

"That's alright, I didn't like him much anyways," Niall casually says and Harry can't decide whether he is joking or not but when he sees a small grin on Niall's face, he bursts out a laugh.

They both end up laughing, Harry soon giggling and not even bothering to cover it. He wipes tears off of his eyes, not really knowing what he finds so funny, mainly laughing because Niall is. The Irish boy's laugh is catchy and when he bursts out another loud laugh, Harry immediately joins him.

"Hey Harry?" Niall asks once they have calmed down a bit.

"You should visit here sometime, bring the kittens along."

His tone sounds casual and Harry immediately turns to look at him, Niall offering him a genuine smile which Harry returns. He ends up nodding, his mouth feeling dry and he can't come up with anything smart to say.

"Can I have your number?" Harry suddenly blurts out, his own eyes widening in shock as he realises what he just said.

"Sure," Niall answers without missing a heartbeat.

He pulls out an iPhone from his pocket, handing it over to Harry who blushes a bit when his fingers touch Niall's. He quickly types in his number, calling to his own phone to get Niall's number.

He can't believe he actually asked Niall's number, and the Irish boy just willingly gave it like that. He hands over the phone, smiling shyly at Niall before getting his own phone and saving Niall's number.

"I should probably get going soon, there'll be lots of work to do with the kittens," Harry soon says, knowing he needs to take the kittens home.

"Do you need any help? I mean I could help, if you need," Niall sounds a bit nervous.

"That's alright," Harry blurts out and then mentally slaps himself.

"But if you're not doing anything tomorrow," he tries to cover his mistake.

"I'm not," Niall quickly comments.

"You could stop by to see the kittens if you want."

Harry can't believe he actually invited Niall over to his house, no other than on a Christmas Day. He hopes it's not too much, silently praying Niall won't turn down his offer.

"Really?" Niall asks.

"Sure if you'd like."

"Yeah," Niall breaths out, smiling shyly at Harry.

"You can come whenever, don't expect any Christmas food though," Harry says and Niall chuckles.

"I'll go get the traveling bag from my car," Harry then remembers and Niall nods, staying with the kittens while Harry rushes outside.

As he opens the front door, he lets out an excited shriek, jumping up and down a bit. He can't believe how great everything is going. He has never done anything this radical before, it's simply not who he is but now that he has been brave, he feels happier than in days.

 _It was so worth taking the risk,_ Harry thinks as he gets the traveling bag, rushing back inside.

Niall helps him to put the small kittens inside the traveling bag, both of them meowing and obviously not liking it very much. Niall calms them down a bit, managing to close the bag, the meowing quieting down a bit.

"So," Harry says as he gets up, holding the traveling bag in his hand.

"I'll text you," Niall shyly offers and Harry nods.

"Will you be okay with them now?" He then asks and Harry nods again.

"I'll walk you outside," Niall decides and Harry follows him, his heart fluttering in his chest.

Niall holds the front door open, smiling at Harry as he steps outside. He turns around, feeling like he wants to say something but he really doesn't know what.

"So you're coming tomorrow?" He decides to go with, wanting to make sure.

"Yeah if you'll have me."

"Of course," Harry smiles.

"See you then," Niall says and waves a bit, Harry waving back before turning around and walking to his car, the kittens meowing inside the traveling bag.

 

-

 

The next morning the kittens wake Harry up, Daisy pushing her head against Harry's hand while Dom is licking his cheek. He groans a bit, opening his eyes and seeing his two kittens on the bed, his heart melting.

He takes both kittens with him as he walks to his kitchen, placing them on the ground and deciding to give them some food. He watches the small kittens eating, smiling and thinking it's the best Christmas he has ever had even though he still hates it, but the kittens are definitely making it better.

He decides to open his phone, groaning when it soon starts buzzing, new messages coming through. There are Merry Christmas wishes from his sister, mum and a few friends and he quickly replies to them, his mood dropping a bit. His best friend Zayn has sent one saying 'Horrible Christmas' and Harry chuckles, wishing Zayn horrible Christmas as well.

The last message is from Niall and Harry can't stop smiling as he opens it, quickly reading through the message. Niall is explaining how he is at the shelter already, taking care of the animals and how he could stop by later in the evening.

Harry answers by saying whenever is fine, adding his address in the end and telling Niall to text when he is coming.

As he begins to make some breakfast, he feels all warm and bubbly inside, thinking the feeling is a bit crazy since he doesn't even know Niall. It's like his first crush all over again, butterflies in his stomach, his cheeks flushed and he mentally curses it, hoping he will behave himself when Niall comes over.

 

A bit later in the afternoon Harry is bored out of his mind. The kittens are peacefully sleeping in the same fluffy pet bed and Harry can't stop smiling as he looks at them, snapping a few pictures. He starts cleaning around although it's quite tidy already but still, he wants everything to be clean once Niall arrives.

Once he is done, he decides to change. He carefully picks out a comfortable blue jumper, pulling on his favourite black skinny jeans. Just when he has changed, he hears a quiet meow coming from the living room and he rushes there, seeing Daisy sitting on the floor and meowing.

He sits on the floor, reaching to grab a toy and playing with her for a while until he hears his phone buzzing. Then he is in a rush to get his phone, seeing it's Niall, a wide smile forming on his face. Niall is asking if it's alright to come over now and Harry answers by simply saying yes.

He restlessly waits for Niall, not having a clue how long it will take. He tries to distract himself by playing with the kittens, letting out a laugh when Dom decides to pee on his floor instead of going to the newspaper pile Harry has left on the corner of the room.

Harry wipes the mess, pulling both kittens on his lap and stroking their furs, thinking getting them was one of the best decisions he has ever made. They are both purring on his lap as he scratches from underneath their chins, knowing they love it.

Suddenly his doorbell rings and he stiffens, moving the kittens on the floor and slowly getting up. His heart is bounding fast in his chest, his breath quickening but he quickly tries to calm himself down as he goes to the door.

Niall is standing on the doorstep, a smile on his face. He is wearing a black jumper and a warm, brown scarf tightly wrapped around his neck. His hair is a bit messy, his cheeks red and eyes crinkling from the corners.

"Merry -" Niall starts but Harry immediately cuts him off.

"I don't celebrate it," he playfully reminds.

"25th," Niall finishes and Harry bursts out a small laugh, stepping aside to let Niall in.

"Nice house," Niall comments after taking off his shoes, Harry taking his coat and hanging it.

"Thanks," he quickly says after realising he hasn't thanked Niall.

"Oh wow this painting is really cool," Niall is rushing over to a large painting.

"Chagall, sounds fancy," he comments.

"It's a fake," Harry tells as he steps closer, directly behind Niall who is looking at the mesmerising painting.

"Oh hello little babies," Niall then says with a higher pitched tone, Harry immediately looking down and seeing the kittens next to Niall's feet.

"How are my babies doing?" Niall asks with the same tone as he crouches down to get both the kittens, holding them against his chest.

"Sorry, your babies," he then realises and looks at Harry who simply chuckles.

"Do you always talk to cats like that?" Harry asks and motions Niall to sit on the couch.

"Yeah," Niall admits and blushes a bit, holding the kittens on his lap now.

"Do you want anything, tea maybe?" Harry politely offers after watching Niall for a while, thinking the sight of Niall with the kittens is simply adorable.

"Oh sure, thanks."

After Harry has made tea for them, they begin to talk, first strictly about the kittens. After a while Harry finds himself starting to talk about his life and more personal things, ending up knowing plenty of things about Niall.

He learns that Niall lives nearby the animal shelter in a small apartment. He doesn't have any pets, since he pretty much spends most of his time at the shelter with the cats and occasional dogs people might bring in.

Niall plays the guitar and he is a hardcore football fan. Harry barely knows a thing about football but he is quite interested in music and they end up talking about their favourite bands, finding out they like the same style of music.

Niall gives him tips how to train the cats where they should pee and Harry listen carefully, trying to remember everything he hears. From time to time he simply gets lost in Niall's eyes, staring at him intensively before realising he has missed half of the things Niall has said.

Harry feels genuinely surprised when Niall asks if he is dating anyone, and he quickly explains he isn't. Niall reveals he has been single for a few years now and they start talking more about relationships, Harry enjoying how easy everything is.

It feels like he has known Niall for years now, that's how easy talking to him is. It's been ages since Harry was having a conversation like this, just talking with someone and finding new common grounds. He feels shocked when at one point he checks the time and realises Niall has been over for two hours already.

"Where's your bathroom?" Niall suddenly asks and Harry explains where it is, getting lost in his thoughts and starting to smile to himself while Niall is gone.

When Niall comes back, Harry asks if he wants to eat something. Niall admits being hungry and Harry goes to his kitchen, trying to see what food he might have.

"We could just order Chinese," he hears Niall suggesting from the living room.

"Is there a place open?" Harry peeks to the living room.

"I know one place," Niall says and pulls out his phone, beginning to search for the number.

 

Two hours later, they have eaten Chinese food and continued talking about everything. At some point they moved to sit on the floor to play with the kittens, Harry constantly on the edge of having a meltdown when Niall talks to the kittens in a cute way.

"Yes you are cute," Niall is currently talking to Daisy, stroking her fur.

"Isn't that right Harry?" He then asks, turning his eyes on Harry.

"You are, yeah," Harry dreamily says before realising what he just blurted out.

"I mean she is," he tries to correct but Niall grins, raising his eyebrow in a questioning way.

"Well thanks Harry, we appreciate it," Niall then casually comments and lifts Daisy up, hugging her against his chest.

They play with the kittens for a while longer, Harry constantly peeking at Niall. He can't seem to tear his eyes away and when Niall catches him staring, he blushes a bit and tries to act like he hasn't done anything.

He feels disappointed and a bit sad when Niall starts talking about leaving, complaining he is getting tired and he needs to wake up early to feed the animals at the shelter.

"Bye Daisy," Niall is saying goodbye to the kitten, stroking her fur and seeming a bit upset for some reason.

"Niall, you can see them again," Harry decides to say, watching Niall saying bye to the kittens like he is never going to see them again.

"Yeah?" Niall hesitantly asks, looking up at Harry who is standing and leaning against his couch.

"Sure if you want."

"Of course," Niall quickly says and Harry smiles, feeling happy when he realises it means Niall wants to see him again.

"Thanks for inviting me over, beats spending the day alone," Niall says as he is pulling his coat on.

"I would have watched movies alone," Harry confesses.

"I would have been hanging out with the cats and talked to them all day," Niall jokes and Harry smiles shortly.

"So I'll see you again?" Niall suddenly asks, sounding a bit more serious now.

"Yeah," Harry truthfully says.

"I want to see you again," he then shyly adds, Niall smiling and nodding.

Niall opens the front door, stepping outside but turning around. He looks at Harry in the eyes before looking up, frowning a bit and looking confused.

"What?" Harry asks, having no clue what is going on.

"I was hoping you would have..." Niall starts but silences himself.

"Yeah?" Harry tries to reassure him.

"I was looking for a mistletoe."

"Why?" Harry asks, feeling confused before he realises it.

"Oh," he blurts out.

"Yeah," Niall awkwardly says and blushes a bit.

"I told you I don't celebrate Christmas," Harry reminds him and takes a step closer.

"So I definitely don't hang mistletoe around," he continues, feeling quite brave as he takes another step.

"But it doesn't really matter," he continues talking, taking another step and bringing his hand on Niall's cheek.

"Because I can just kiss you anyway," he finishes before leaning in, gently pressing his lips on Niall's.

He feels warm and bubbly inside when Niall kisses him back, his lips feeling soft against Harry's. The kiss is simple and slow, almost loving and Harry soon starts smiling against Niall's lips, gently pecking them and brushing his thumb over Niall's cheek.

"Merry 25th Niall," Harry mumbles and pecks Niall's lips one more time before pulling away, looking into Niall's eyes and smiling widely.

"Merry 25th Harry."

 


End file.
